Bangladesh may ban yarn imports through land ports: Commerce secretary

Sectoral entrepreneurs have been demanding this for long, and met senior commerce ministry officials recently, reiterating their request, he said.

The ministry, therefore, will consider the matter further and may take a decision within the next week.

Yarn imports through seaports, however, will continue as usual, he was cited as saying by domestic media reports.

Textile millers say the domestic yarn sector is struggling to survive as significant quantities of fibre are being smuggled through land ports.

However, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association and the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association requested that yarn imports through land ports should continue.

Yarn imports from India are now allowed through seaports and four land ports—Benapole, Sonamasjid, Bhomra and Banglabandha.

The government allowed the import of yarn through these land ports in January 2023 to meet the sudden rise in demand for fibre after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bangladesh Textile Mills Association president Showkat Aziz Russell said it takes only two weeks to import yarn from India through seaports, making it a more convenient option.

When yarn is imported through land ports, which lack testing facilities, importers and exporters take advantage of misdeclaration, he said.

Yarn worth around Tk 10,000 crore is currently stockpiled in mills as India has been dumping yarn at lower prices, he added.

ALCHEMPro News Desk (DS)